Tuesday, May 20 | By Alexis Simendinger & Kristina Karisch |
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| ▪ President to GOP: Finish big budget bill ▪ Trump hands truce talks to Russia, Ukraine ▪ Supreme Court allows Venezuelan deportations ▪ Netanyahu: Israel will take "full control" of Gaza |
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©️ Associated Press | J. Scott Applewhite |
Trump heads to Hill to untangle budget plan |
President Trump today will personally lobby House Republicans to settle their differences and vote for a major legislative package that would advance what would be a legacy-building accomplishment for his second term. The meeting in the Capitol will test the president's influence over his party and his persuasiveness among fiscal conservatives and GOP moderates who view next year's midterms and the 2028 presidential elections through different lenses. It will not be Trump's final presidential pep talk about a budget process that was never predicted to be easy. Freedom Caucus Chair Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) said late Monday he believes there is insufficient GOP support to pass the House measure this week. Even if the House eventually clears a measure using reconciliation rules, Senate Republicans are following a different path, and months of negotiations are ahead. The president believes his party can upend the federal government to promote U.S. manufacturing and economic growth through lower taxes, higher defense spending, more border protection, less discretionary spending on Biden-era environmental goals and more deficit reduction. House Republicans are butting heads among themselves over key tax provisions, proposals to achieve Medicaid savings without cutting off benefits and a mathematical struggle to mop up federal red ink over the next decade. The president on Monday congratulated House Republicans after they worked late into the night Sunday to narrowly advance his "big, beautiful bill" that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) would like his colleagues to pass by Memorial Day next week. Johnson readily concedes the budget measure remains under construction with key details to "iron out." "CONGRATULATIONS REPUBLICANS!!!" Trump wrote on Truth Social before 1 a.m. on Monday. "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!" ▪ The Hill: The Speaker's deadline collides with stubborn sticking points. ▪ Politico: Trump prefers to leave it "to members to negotiate amongst themselves." Johnson on Monday suggested it would take two more days of internal discussions before a House GOP budget deal is sealed. "We're almost there, and I'm very optimistic that we will find the right equilibrium point to get this bill delivered," the Speaker said as he entered the Capitol. Johnson said a "cleanup amendment" is still in draft form. Republicans have aimed to pass their bill through the House Rules Committee in the wee hours of Wednesday morning. "None of that has been ultimately and finally decided because, as everyone knows around here, we have to build consensus around all those ideas," Johnson told reporters. "We're going to have a lot of discussion among the conference over the next 48 hours," he added. "All I can say is, stay tuned." The Hill: Here's the status of significant legislative changes being considered by House Republicans, including Medicaid work requirements, possibly to take effect in "early 2027" following the midterms; changes to food stamp benefits; making permanent the 2017-enacted GOP tax cuts; a higher proposed individual SALT deduction (still unresolved as of this morning); Trump's no-tax-on-tips campaign promise; and more. |
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Smart Take
with Blake Burman |
| When Walmart warned last week about raising prices, President Trump reacted, saying between China and Walmart they should "EAT THE TARIFFS." I spoke with "Shark Tank" investor Kevin O'Leary last night, and he said he believes that's not going to happen. "There's going to be some distribution of the pain between increased prices," O'Leary said. "And retailers will take some of the hit, but it really depends what the hit is. We don't know." I mention Walmart because several huge names report earnings this week, including Home Depot later today and Target on Wednesday. The comments from those companies' CEOs will continue to drive the political discourse on tariffs, trade and the economy. |
Burman hosts "The Hill" weeknights, 6p/5c on NewsNation. |
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- Join The Hill's virtual event TODAY at 2 p.m. EDT focused on financial barriers to clinical trial participation. Delve into the economics behind clinical trials, the impact on drug development and how Congress could make clinical trials more accessible to patients. Register HERE.
- Join The Hill's WEDNESDAY event at 8:30 a.m. EDT discussing the impact on older Americans of federal health policies, including proposed budget cuts, safety net programs and key decisions Washington is confronting. Speakers include Alison Barkoff, former director, Administration for Community Living; Sue Koob, CEO, Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association; Edwin Walker, former Health and Human Services deputy assistant secretary for aging, and more. Register HERE.
- Join The Hill's June 5 half-day summit, "Invest in America," at 8 a.m. ET featuring titans from Washington and Wall Street. Participants share insights about economic developments, tariffs, AI, crypto, taxes and more. RSVP HERE.
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Don't Buy Big Grocers' Lie! |
Grocery stores blame credit card processing costs for higher prices, but that's false. Credit card interchange rates have remained steady for nearly a decade, while grocery bills have skyrocketed. Learn more. |
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©️ The Hill | Greg Nash; Efrem Lukatsky, Associated Press; and Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik |
☎️ CEASEFIRE TALKS? Russia and Ukraine will immediately begin negotiations on a ceasefire, possibly hosted by the Vatican, Trump said following phone calls with the leaders of each country. On Monday, Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin for about two hours, after speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier in the day. But Trump on Monday backed off his demand that Russia declare an immediate end to the fighting, instead endorsing Putin's call for talks, since Russia and Ukraine "know details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware of." Earlier in the day, the president described the tone and spirit of his conversation with Putin as "excellent." "If it wasn't, I would say so now, rather than later," he wrote on Truth Social. "The conditions for that will be negotiated between the two parties, as it can only be, because they know details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware of." Despite promising during the 2024 campaign to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of being sworn into office, Trump has failed to gain much traction with Putin over the past four months. The president has for months urged a 30-day ceasefire, and the White House said before Monday's calls that he was frustrated with both sides in a war sparked by Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbor in 2022. Alexander Stubb, the president of Finland, said after a lengthy conversation with Trump that the American president is losing patience with Putin's reluctant approach to the peace process. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump warned again that he could back out of the process. "I'll tell you big egos [are] involved, but I think something's going to happen. And if it doesn't, I just back away, and they're going to have to keep going again," he said. In Congress, GOP lawmakers are urging Trump to take a much tougher line against Putin on ending the war in Ukraine, arguing that the Russian leader is not serious about peace. The Hill's Alexander Bolton writes the GOP's confidence in Trump's approach to the peace talks fell after Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov skipped a round of talks with American negotiators in Istanbul. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Trump needs to take a harder line. "They should be treated as the aggressors that they are, as the war criminals that they are, particularly Mr. Putin," Wicker said. "Our negotiators should realize that there's not a word of truth that comes out of Vladimir Putin's mouth. He will never keep any promise that he ever makes. He is totally interested in domination of his neighbors. That needs to be recognized." CNN analysis: Putin just showed Trump how little he needs him. |
- The House will meet at 10 a.m.
- The Senate will convene at 10 a.m.
- The president will depart the White House for the Capitol at 8:40 a.m. Trump will speak with the House GOP conference during a 9 a.m. meeting and return to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. by 10 a.m. The president will participate in an event for "Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day" at 11:55 a.m. on the South Lawn.
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent heads today to Banff, Canada, to participate in a Group of Seven finance ministers meeting and a meeting of the central bank governors.
- The White House daily press briefing is scheduled at 1 p.m.
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©️ Associated Press | J. Scott Applewhite |
SUPREME COURT: In a Monday emergency order, the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to strip Biden-era legal protections from hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans. The Trump administration in January said it would move to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans — lifting protections that bar deportation due to civil unrest and dangerous conditions in a migrant's home country. The Justice Department appealed to the Supreme Court after a San Francisco-based federal district judge put the efforts on hold, finding they "appear predicated on negative stereotypes." Only Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, former President Biden's appointee to the court, publicly dissented from Monday's order to lift that judge's block. Neither Jackson nor the majority explained their decision. The justices clarified, however, that they would preserve the ability of individual immigrants to bring legal challenges in some instances, including if the government tried to cancel their work permits. The decision marks another significant legal victory for the Trump administration, which has brought a flurry of emergency appeals to the Supreme Court after district judges across the country blocked Trump's various policies. ▪ NBC News: A federal judge in Texas ordered the Trump administration Monday to facilitate contact between a Venezuelan man deported to El Salvador and his lawyers. ▪ The Hill: A federal judge on Monday blocked the takeover of the U.S. Institute of Peace by the Department of Government Efficiency, ruling the move is "null and void" because the institute is not part of the executive branch and was seized outside of the law. ▪ Axios: The Trump administration's first charter flight for dozens of "self-deporting" immigrants took off from Houston early Monday, part of a new program offering them a free trip back home and $1,000. ▪ The Hill: At least 50 Venezuelan men who were sent to a notorious Salvadoran prison by the Trump administration had immigrated to the U.S. legally, a review by the libertarian Cato Institute found. The Supreme Court is signaling a fading belief that the Trump administration will act in good faith in response to judicial decisions limiting its immigration agenda, a sign that the courts are growing as frustrated with Trump as he is with them. The divide could become a test on whether judges will maintain their long-standing deference to the government's representations in court. The dynamic came into focus in two Supreme Court cases last week, write The Hill's Ella Lee and Zach Schonfeld, while lower courts have also expressed a creeping doubt that the government can be trusted to abide by their decisions. DEMOCRATS VS. ICE: The Justice Department said it would charge Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) whom authorities have accused of assaulting law enforcement officials during a confrontation outside of an immigration detention center in Newark. Prosecutors dropped the federal trespassing charge against Newark Mayor Ras Baraka (D) who was arrested during the confrontation. The highly unusual decision follows the equally unusual arrest of a local judge in Wisconsin this month on obstruction charges for allegedly helping an undocumented migrant in her courtroom evade U.S. immigration authorities. ▪ Time magazine: Inside the Democratic Party's plan to find its way back. ▪ The Hill: Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) formally launched her campaign for Georgia governor on Tuesday, becoming the most high-profile figure to jump into the Democratic primary. ▪ The Hill: Knives are out for Rep. Shri Thanedar (D), a Michigan lawmaker who has emerged as something of a lightning-rod figure within his party. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) last week threw her support behind Thanedar's progressive rival, arguing Thanedar has failed his constituents. Meanwhile, the second-term lawmaker has drawn criticism from moderates after his push to impeach Trump, which received no oxygen from Democratic leadership. |
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Don't Buy Big Grocers' Lie! |
Grocery stores blame credit card processing costs for higher prices, but that's false. Credit card interchange rates have remained steady for nearly a decade, while grocery bills have skyrocketed. Learn more. |
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©️ Associated Press | Abdel Kareem Hana |
GAZA: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that the military was "moving toward full control" of Gaza amid airstrikes and a mounting ground operation that has killed hundreds, including children. Meanwhile, Gaza's Hamas-run government urged the international community to pressure Israel to allow the entry of at least 500 aid trucks and 50 fuel trucks daily, adding that "signs of famine and humanitarian collapse are worsening at a terrifying rate." Israel said it will allow a "basic amount of food" into the enclave, a move Netanyahu hinted was due to intense pressure from Israel's allies. The leaders of Britain, Canada and France threatened "concrete actions" against Israel on Monday if it does not stop the renewed military offensive in Gaza and lift aid restrictions. As the ground offensive continues, Hamas and Israel are holding indirect talks in Doha, but Qatar's prime minister said Tuesday that negotiations have stalled over "fundamental differences" between the two sides, as Netanyahu is reportedly weighing recalling Israel's delegation from the talks. ▪ The New York Times: What to know about Israel's expanding ground offensive. ▪ The Hill: Israel's move to occupy large swaths of Gaza has prompted a backlash from Democrats on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers are warning that the escalation is an impediment — not a pathway — to the end of the war with Hamas. CHIPS RACE: The Trump White House has found itself in a tight spot, facing growing pressure to curb foreign adversaries' access to U.S. emerging technology while still ensuring American chipmakers dominate the global stage. Trump's tech policy took center stage during his visit to the Middle East, where he signed a blitz of multi-billion-dollar artificial intelligence deals between U.S. companies and Gulf countries. The backlash is highlighting the dilemma over how the White House will navigate the dual demands of innovation and national security. "The Trump administration is trying to walk a geopolitical tightrope," emerging tech and geopolitical researcher Tobias Feakin told The Hill. "It wants to contain China's AI ambitions without choking off the global reach of its own tech champions. That's an increasingly difficult balance to maintain in a world where supply chains, research ecosystems, and computer infrastructure are transnational by design." |
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- Washington deserved a downgrade, by The Wall Street Journal editorial board.
- Pakistan's actions should be called state-sponsored terrorism, by Jos Joseph, opinion contributor, The Hill.
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©️Getty Images | MR.Cole_Photographer |
And finally … 🧠 Uh-oh. Artificial intelligence, after absorbing minimal demographic information about us, can be more persuasive than humans while swaying opinions. A study published Monday in Nature Human Behavior found that large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT created by OpenAI, were persuasive while subtly using personal information in debates. The human mind, gazing into the future, imagines all sorts of possible applications for AI cunning and persuasion: politics, scams, commercial advertising, diplomacy, spycraft, dating, even war. "We have clearly reached the technological level where it is possible to create a network of LLM-based automated accounts that are able to strategically nudge the public opinion in one direction," study co-author Riccardo Gallotti told The Washington Post. Because humans scatter personal information all over the place, there's reason to be worried about persuasive use of misinformation and lies (large language models are not bound by ethics or telling the truth). Sandra Wachter, a professor of technology and regulation at the University of Oxford, who was not affiliated with the study, described the findings as "quite alarming." |
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